Scholarships

For many students, scholarships don’t just open the door to a college education—in many cases, they kick it down. Your scholarship support makes it possible for students in need to come to Norfolk State University and create successful futures.

NSU is committed to making a college education financially attainable—we are presently the most affordable four year institution in the Commonwealth of Virginia system of higher education. Even so, NSU consistently provides more than $4 million in institutionally funded scholarship grants to help lift the financial burden from needy students’ shoulders. Without this support, literally hundreds of students every year would be unable to afford to attend Norfolk State University.

Increasing the University’s capacity to assist worthy students in their quest to achieve the dream of earning a college degree is Norfolk State University’s number one priority.

Presidential Scholarships help NSU to recruit and retain up to 50 high-caliber students per year by providing prestigious, academic merit-based scholarship support to the most academically exceptional applicants to the University.

Each Presidential Scholarship provides $10,000 per year toward the comprehensive cost of attendance at Norfolk State University. A 3.2 high school GPA and a 24 ACT/1180 SAT score are the minimum freshman qualifications to be considered for a Presidential Scholarship.

A gift of $250,000 can permanently endow a named Presidential Scholarship at Norfolk State University. A gift to create a permanently endowed Presidential Scholarship at this level will provide significant merit-based financial aid to a worthy NSU student into perpetuity.

A gift of $10,000 per year for four years can create a temporary named Presidential Scholarship at Norfolk State University, and will provide a significant source of funding to an outstanding student for her/his entire course of study at NSU.

Need-Based Scholarships not only make attending Norfolk State University possible — they also help to spare graduates from excessive and debilitating debt. By keeping student loans to a minimum, we free our graduates to go on to graduate and professional schools, engage in public service, and pursue their professional passions—all of which will maximize their ability to contribute significantly to their communities and to the world.

A gift of $25,000 can permanently endow a named need-based scholarship fund at Norfolk State University. A gift to create a permanently endowed scholarship at this level will provide the financial resources necessary into perpetuity to allow a promising NSU student the ability to chase his or her dreams without the need to assume high levels of student debt.

A gift of $2,500 per year for four years can create a temporary named need-based scholarship at Norfolk State University, and will provide a significant source of funding to an outstanding student for her/his entire course of study at NSU.

Athletic Scholarships are offered by the head coaches of Norfolk State University’s collegiate teams and are awarded on the basis of athletic ability and academic eligibility. These scholarships ensure that NSU athletes are able to challenge their counterparts at other institutions at the highest levels of intercollegiate athletics competition.

A gift of $10,000 per year for four years can create a temporary named, partial sport-specific scholarship at Norfolk State University--and will provide a significant source of funding to an outstanding student-athlete for her/his entire course of study and competition at NSU.

Gifts of $1,000 or more can be designated to NSU’s general athletic scholarship fund, and will collectively be used annually to ensure that Norfolk State University can recruit outstanding student-athletes nationally. Additionally, these funds provide the resources that NSU student-athletes need to maintain progress toward on-time graduation by providing access to summer academic opportunities, and that the University is able to provide funding to student-athletes needing a fifth year to complete their degree requirements.